Shoe.



No. 795,426. PATENTED JULY 25, 1905. J. K. P. BRASWELL.

SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 22.1904.

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SHOE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed October 22, 1904. Serial No. 229.593.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES K. P. BRAS- wELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cochran, in the county of Pulaski and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of shoes or the like, and the essential feature of the invention resides in means for increasing the life of the article from the standpoint of wear and also for subserving the spring effect or resiliency of the shoe when in use, conducive to greater ease in walking on the part of the wearer.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

lVhile the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions by changes in the structure and minor details without de parting from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment there of is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe embodying the invention, the view being broken away centrally to show the relative position of the spring interposed between the insole and outer sole more clearly. F ig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken about on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In illustrating the application of the invention a shoe 1 of a form which is now commonly in use is shown, the invention relat ing more particularly to means applied to the sole structure of the, article for purposes which have been hereinbefore premised.

The numeral 2 designates the heel, the numeral 3 the outer sole, and the numeral 4 the insole. Generally speaking, the outer sole 3 is secured to the upper or body of the shoe in the usual manner. The outer sole, however, is provided upon its lower or outer side and virtually covering its entire surface with a spring-plate 5. The plate 5 is comparatively thin and is secured to the sole 3 by means of suitable fastenings, such as screws 6, disposed adjacent the edge portion thereof. In addition to the screws 6 the plate 5 is also attached at its rear or straight edge portion by a plurality of brads 7. The front extremity or toe portion of the sole 3 is curved downward slightly, as shown at 8, and the plate 5 is formed in the same manner. The forward extremity of the plate 5 is turned downwardly at the edge portion thereof, and the downwardly-bent portion, as shown at 9, is crimped slightly. The portion 9 of the plate 5 is designed to obviate any likelihood of slip ping which might be incurred due to the provision of the plate 5, said portion 9 being of course adapted to readily bite into the ground or surface walked upon by the wearer in performing the function above mentioned. The various screws 6 securing the plate 5 to the sole 3 have their heads countersunk, so as to afford a relatively smooth surface.

In addition to the spring effect gained by the use of the plate 5 resiliency of the shoe is further increased by providing a flat spring 10, interposed between the outer sole 3 and the insole 4 and extending for some distance from the rear portion of the sole 3 lengthwise of the instep 11 of the shoe. The spring 10 is quite a little narrower than the shoe, and its front end is secured to the outersole 3 by means of a single fastening 12. (See Fig. 1.) The. rear end of said spring 10 terminates adjacent the heel 2 and is not secured, being adapted for free movement. The spring 10 is held between the insole 4 and the outer sole 3 in a manner readily apparent and affords a spring or yielding support for the foot, very desirable for obvious reasons. The

brads 7, which secure the outer sole 3 and the body of the shoe, are spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that the spring 10 may extend therebetween, and the adjacent brads 7 criinped at the toe portion for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES K. r. BRASWELL. [11.8.]

Witnesses J. P. PEAOOOK, T. D. WALKER. 

